South Carolina man busted with gun, 70 rounds of ammo during anti-police brutality protest

A 19-year-old man was carrying a gun and 70 rounds of ammo when he was among 50 people arrested at protests over the weekend in Columbia, S.C., authorities said.

Dominic Gladden, of St. Matthews, S.C., was arrested Sunday and charged with unlawfully carrying a pistol and illegal acts during a state of emergency, Columbia police said.

“Gladden was among the crowd of agitators who refused to disperse once the curfew took effect at 6 p.m., Sunday,” police said in a news release. “Once in custody, the weapon and ammunition were found in a backpack he was carrying.”

Police announced 50 arrests between Saturday and Sunday during protests over the death of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody May 25 after an officer kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than 8 minutes in a moment caught on cellphone video. The police officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder.